Cao Pi
Encyclopedia
Cao Pi formally known as Emperor Wen of Wei, was the first emperor
of the state of Cao Wei
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery (present-day Bozhou
, Anhui
), he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty
warlord Cao Cao
.
Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet. The first Chinese poem
using seven syllables per line (七言詩) was the poem Yan Ge Xing (燕歌行) by Cao Pi. He also wrote over a hundred articles on various subjects.
Cao Pi was the eldest son of Cao Cao and his concubine (later wife) Lady Bian
. Of all his brothers, Cao Pi was the most shrewd. Instead of studying hard or conducting military affairs, he was always in the presence of court officials in order to gain their support. He was mostly in charge of defense at the start of his career. After the defeat of rival warlord Yuan Shao
at the Battle of Guandu
, he took the widow of Yuan Shao's son Yuan Xi
, Lady Zhen, as a consort, although eventually she lost his favor and was forced to commit suicide. After he became emperor, his other favorite, Guo Nüwang
, became empress.
In 220, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian
, last ruler of the Han Dynasty
, to abdicate and proclaimed himself Emperor of Wei. Cao Pi continued his father's war against the rival states of Shu Han
and Eastern Wu
but was unsuccessful. Unlike his father, he concentrated most of his efforts on his home country. During his reign, he formally established Chen Qun
's nine-rank system
as the base for civil service
nomination, which drew many talents into his government. On the other hand, he drastically reduced the power of princes, stripping off their power to oppose him, but at the same time, rendering them unable to assist the emperor if a crisis arose within the state.
, with no hint that he would go on to the great campaigns that he would eventually carry out after the collapse of the imperial government in 190. After 190, when Cao Cao was constantly waging war, it is not known where Cao Pi and his mother Lady Bian were, or what their activities were. The lone reference to Cao Pi during this period was in 204, when he took Yuan Xi
's wife Lady Zhen as his wife. (Lady Zhen gave birth to Cao Pi's eldest son Cao Rui
only eight months later—which created murmurs that Cao Rui might have been biologically Yuan Xi's son and not Cao Pi's, although the possibilities appeared farfetched.)
The immediate next reference to Cao Pi's activities was in 211, when he was commissioned to be the commander of the imperial guards and deputy prime minister (i.e., assistant to his father, who was then prime minister and in effective control of the imperial government). His older brother Cao Ang
having died earlier, Cao Pi was now the oldest son of Cao Cao, and his mother Lady Bian was now Cao Cao's wife (after Cao Ang's adoptive mother, Cao Cao's first wife Lady Ding, was deposed), making Cao Pi the presumptive heir for Cao Cao.
That status, however, was not immediately made legal, and for years there were lingering doubts whom Cao Cao intended to make heir, because Cao Cao greatly favored a younger son of his, also by Lady Bian—Cao Zhi, who was known for his literary talents; while Cao Pi was a talented poet, Cao Zhi was even higher regarded as a poet and speaker. By 215, the brothers were on the surface in concord but each having his set of associates, fighting with each other under the surface. Initially, Cao Zhi's party appeared to be prevailing, and they were successful in 216 in falsely accusing two officials supporting Cao Pi -- Cui Yan
and Mao Jie
. Cui was executed, while Mao was deposed. However, the situation shifted after Cao Cao received advice from his strategist Jia Xu
, who concluded that changing the general rules of succession (primogeniture
) would be disruptive—using Yuan Shao
and Liu Biao
as counterexamples. Cao Pi was also fostering his image among the people and creating the sense that Cao Zhi was wasteful and lacking actual talent in governance. In 217, Cao Cao, who was by this point Prince of Wei, finally declared Cao Pi as his crown prince. He would remain as such until his father's death in 220.
. Even though Cao Pi had been crown prince for several years, there was initially some confusion as to what would happen next. The apprehension was particularly heightened when, after Cao Cao's death, the Qing Province (青州, modern central and eastern Shandong
) troops under the powerful general, Zang Ba
, suddenly deserted, leaving Luoyang and returning home. Further, Cao Zhang
, whose military reputation was well-known, quickly arrived in Luoyang, creating apprehension that he was intending to seize power from his brother. Cao Pi, hearing this news at Cao Cao's headquarters at Yecheng
, hastily declared himself the new Prince of Wei and issuing an edict in the name of his mother, Princess Bian, before receiving an official confirmation from Emperor Xian of Han
, of whom he was still technically a subject. After Cao Pi's self-declaration, neither Cao Zhang nor any other individual took action against him. He then ordered his brothers, including Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, back to their fiefs. With the help of Jiang Ji, the political situation soon stabilized.
and father Cao Cao as emperors, and his mother Princess Dowager Bian as empress dowager
. He also moved the imperial capital from Xu (許縣, in modern Xuchang
, Henan
) to Luoyang.
After news of Cao Pi's ascension (and an accompanying false rumor that Cao had executed Emperor Xian) arrived in Liu Bei's domain of Yi Province (益州, modern Sichuan
and Chongqing
), Liu Bei declared himself emperor as well, establishing Shu Han
. Sun Quan, who controlled the vast majority of modern southeastern and southern China, did not take any affirmative steps one way or another, leaving his options open.
An armed conflict between Liu and Sun quickly developed, because in 219 Sun had ambushed Liu's general and beloved friend Guan Yu
to seize back western Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei
and Hunan
), which Liu had controlled, and Liu wanted to take vengeance. To avoid having to fight on two fronts, Sun formally paid allegiance to Cao, offering to be a vassal of Cao Wei. Cao's strategist Liu Ye (劉曄) suggested that Cao decline—and in fact attack Sun on a second front, effectively partitioning Sun's domain with Shu Han, and then eventually seek to destroy Shu Han as well. Cao declined, in a fateful choice that most historians believe doomed his empire to ruling only the northern and central China—and this chance would not come again. Indeed, against Liu Ye's advice, he created Sun the Prince of Wu and granted him the nine bestowments
.
Sun's submission did not last long, however. After Sun's forces, under the command of Lu Xun
, defeated Liu Bei's forces in 222, Sun began to distance himself from Cao Wei. When Cao demanded Sun to send his heir Sun Deng (孫登) to Luoyang as hostage and Sun refused, formal relations broke down. Cao personally led an expedition against Sun, and Sun, in response, declared independence from Cao Wei, establishing Eastern Wu
. By this time, having defeated Liu, Eastern Wu's forces enjoyed high morale and effective leadership from Sun, Lu, and a number of other capable generals, and Cao's forces were not able to make significant advances against them despite several large-scale attacks in the next few years. The division of the Han empire into three states has become firmly established, particularly after Liu Bei's death in 223; his prime minister Zhuge Liang
, serving as regent for his son Liu Shan
, reestablished the alliance with Sun, causing Cao Wei to have to defend itself on two fronts and not being able to conquer either. Exasperated, Cao made a famous comment in 225 that "Heaven created the Yangtze to divide the north and the south."
, who was chief among Cao Zhi's strategists, had his whole clan wiped out as a result of assisting the latter in the past. Cao Pi's younger brother, Cao Xiong
, was also said to have committed suicide out of fears for his brother. Legend also says Cao Pi assassinated his own brother, Cao Zhang. In 223, Cao Zhang was summoned to the palace by Cao Pi. During a casual conversation, Cao Zhang asked his brother if he could see his royal seal. This got Cao Pi worried and made up his mind to kill his brother. Since Empress Dowager Bian favored Cao Zhang, so Cao Pi had to make Cao Zhang's death seem natural. A few weeks later, Cao Pi invited his brother to a game of weiqi
during their mother's birthday. The match was very close in the middle game when Cao Pi's servants brought some prunes, some of them were poisoned. Cao Pi made sure he ate the unmarked ones that were not poisonous and made sure his brother ate the other ones. When Cao Zhang realized that he had been poisoned, he screamed for help. Empress Dowager Bian got to the scene on her bare feet and tried to search for water to flush down the poison that was now in Cao Zhang's body. But unfortunately for Cao Zhang, the crafty Cao Pi had secretly placed all the containers away beforehand, so Empress Dowager Bian failed to get the water; Cao Zhang then died as a result.
In summary, under regulations established by Cao Pi, not only were the Cao Wei princes (unlike princes of the Han Dynasty) distanced from central politics, they also had minimal authority even in their own principalities and were restricted in many ways, particularly in the use of military.
, who was sent back to Wei after he was captured by Shu, then Wu, Cao artistically teased him to death. Initially, Cao reinstated Yu to be Borders-Pacifying General (安遠將軍) and announced to send him back to Eastern Wu as an envoy. However, before Yu's departure, he was instructed to travel to Ye
to pay his respects at Cao Cao's tomb. When Yu arrived, he found that the emperor had had artists paint on the tomb, scenes of the Battle of Fancheng
, in which Yu was shown begging for his life to be spared and succumbing to the victorious Guan Yu
, while his subordinate, Pang De
, was shown dying an honorable death by resisting the invading forces to his last breath. Upon seeing the vivid mural, Yu was so filled with regret and shame that he fell ill and soon died. Cao further gave the deceased Yu a notorious posthumous title
of "Marquis Li" (厲侯), for people to remember the latter as the "stony marquis (or vicious marquis)" Wang Zhong, a general who followed Cao Cao for many years, was also ridiculed by his young master. Even the Grand General of the Supreme Army, Cao Zhen
, was taken advantage by Cao Pi for his chubby bodyshape.
. Lady Guo used the unlikely possibility that Zhen's son Cao Rui might be biologically Yuan Xi's son to full advantage in creating conflicts between Cao Pi and Lady Zhen. Cao therefore refused to summon Lady Zhen to Luoyang after he ascended the throne but instead ordered her to remain at Yecheng, which caused Lady Zhen to be resentful. When words of her resentment reached Cao, he became angry and forced her to commit suicide. In 222, Cao created Consort Guo empress.
Empress Guo, however, was sonless. Lady Zhen's son Cao Rui was the oldest of Cao Pi's sons, but because she had been put to death and because of Cao Pi's lingering doubt as to his paternity, was not created crown prince but only the Prince of Pingyuan after Cao Pi's ascension. Cao Pi, however, did not appear to have seriously considered any other son as heir. (It might have been because the other sons were all significantly younger, although their ages were not recorded in history.) In the summer of 226, when Cao Pi was seriously ill, he finally created Prince Rui crown prince. On his deathbed, he entrusted his successor Cao Rui
to the care of Cao Zhen
, Chen Qun, and Sima Yi. Following Cao Pi's death, Prince Rui ascended the throne at the young age of 21.
and Warriors Orochi
video game series. He also appears in Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms
series.
Emperor of China
The Emperor of China refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning between the founding of Qin Dynasty of China, united by the King of Qin in 221 BCE, and the fall of Yuan Shikai's Empire of China in 1916. When referred to as the Son of Heaven , a title that predates the Qin unification, the...
of the state of Cao Wei
Cao Wei
Cao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
. Born in Qiao County, Pei Commandery (present-day Bozhou
Bozhou
Bozhou is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Anhui province, People's Republic of China. It borders Huaibei to the northeast, Bengbu to the southeast, Huainan to the south, Fuyang to the southwest, and the province of Henan to the north.-Administration:...
, Anhui
Anhui
Anhui is a province in the People's Republic of China. Located in eastern China across the basins of the Yangtze River and the Huai River, it borders Jiangsu to the east, Zhejiang to the southeast, Jiangxi to the south, Hubei to the southwest, Henan to the northwest, and Shandong for a tiny...
), he was the second son of the late Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
warlord Cao Cao
Cao Cao
Cao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
.
Cao Pi, like his father, was a poet. The first Chinese poem
Chinese poetry
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, which includes various versions of Chinese language, including Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Yue Chinese, as well as many other historical and vernacular varieties of the Chinese language...
using seven syllables per line (七言詩) was the poem Yan Ge Xing (燕歌行) by Cao Pi. He also wrote over a hundred articles on various subjects.
Cao Pi was the eldest son of Cao Cao and his concubine (later wife) Lady Bian
Empress Dowager Bian
Empress Dowager Bian , personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Wuxuan , was an empress dowager of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
. Of all his brothers, Cao Pi was the most shrewd. Instead of studying hard or conducting military affairs, he was always in the presence of court officials in order to gain their support. He was mostly in charge of defense at the start of his career. After the defeat of rival warlord Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
at the Battle of Guandu
Battle of Guandu
The Battle of Guandu was a military conflict between the warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in 200 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. The battle, which concluded with victory for Cao Cao, was a turning point in the war between the two warlords...
, he took the widow of Yuan Shao's son Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Yuan was described in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "intelligent but weak and indecisive", in contrast to his older brother Yuan Tan, who was described as...
, Lady Zhen, as a consort, although eventually she lost his favor and was forced to commit suicide. After he became emperor, his other favorite, Guo Nüwang
Empress Guo Nüwang
Guo Nüwang , formally known as Empress Wende , was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was married to Cao Pi , the first emperor of Cao Wei.-Family background and marriage to Cao Pi:Her father Guo Yong came from a line of minor local officials...
, became empress.
In 220, Cao Pi forced Emperor Xian
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, last ruler of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
, to abdicate and proclaimed himself Emperor of Wei. Cao Pi continued his father's war against the rival states of Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
and Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
but was unsuccessful. Unlike his father, he concentrated most of his efforts on his home country. During his reign, he formally established Chen Qun
Chen Qun
Chen Qun was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history.Chen Qun initiated the Nine-rank system for civil service nomination in Cao Wei. Following the death of the ruler Cao Pi, Chen Qun became the Guardian of Cao Wei's military forces...
's nine-rank system
Nine-rank system
The nine rank system , or much less commonly nine grade controller system, was a civil service nomination system during the Three Kingdoms and the Southern and Northern Dynasties in China...
as the base for civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
nomination, which drew many talents into his government. On the other hand, he drastically reduced the power of princes, stripping off their power to oppose him, but at the same time, rendering them unable to assist the emperor if a crisis arose within the state.
Family background and early career
Cao Pi was born in 187, to Cao Cao and one of his favorite concubines, Lady Bian. At the time of Cao Pi's birth, Cao Cao was a mid-level officer in the imperial guards in the capital LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, with no hint that he would go on to the great campaigns that he would eventually carry out after the collapse of the imperial government in 190. After 190, when Cao Cao was constantly waging war, it is not known where Cao Pi and his mother Lady Bian were, or what their activities were. The lone reference to Cao Pi during this period was in 204, when he took Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi
Yuan Xi was the second son of the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty era of Chinese history.Yuan was described in Luo Guanzhong's historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms as "intelligent but weak and indecisive", in contrast to his older brother Yuan Tan, who was described as...
's wife Lady Zhen as his wife. (Lady Zhen gave birth to Cao Pi's eldest son Cao Rui
Cao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
only eight months later—which created murmurs that Cao Rui might have been biologically Yuan Xi's son and not Cao Pi's, although the possibilities appeared farfetched.)
The immediate next reference to Cao Pi's activities was in 211, when he was commissioned to be the commander of the imperial guards and deputy prime minister (i.e., assistant to his father, who was then prime minister and in effective control of the imperial government). His older brother Cao Ang
Cao Ang
Cao Ang was the eldest son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao. He was killed during the Battle of Wancheng after giving up his horse to his father during their escape.-Biography:Cao Ang was born to Cao Cao and Lady Liu...
having died earlier, Cao Pi was now the oldest son of Cao Cao, and his mother Lady Bian was now Cao Cao's wife (after Cao Ang's adoptive mother, Cao Cao's first wife Lady Ding, was deposed), making Cao Pi the presumptive heir for Cao Cao.
That status, however, was not immediately made legal, and for years there were lingering doubts whom Cao Cao intended to make heir, because Cao Cao greatly favored a younger son of his, also by Lady Bian—Cao Zhi, who was known for his literary talents; while Cao Pi was a talented poet, Cao Zhi was even higher regarded as a poet and speaker. By 215, the brothers were on the surface in concord but each having his set of associates, fighting with each other under the surface. Initially, Cao Zhi's party appeared to be prevailing, and they were successful in 216 in falsely accusing two officials supporting Cao Pi -- Cui Yan
Cui Yan
Cui Yan , style name Jigui , was a vassal serving under the warlord Yuan Shao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. Cui did not attain much fame due to his failures to develop his various proposals. After the defeat of Yuan, Cui served Cao Cao and became a civil affairs official...
and Mao Jie
Mao Jie
Mao Jie , style name Xiaoxian , was an official serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was from Pingqiu County, in Chenliu Commandery . Under the recommendation of Man Chong, Mao Jie joined Cao Cao...
. Cui was executed, while Mao was deposed. However, the situation shifted after Cao Cao received advice from his strategist Jia Xu
Jia Xu
Jia Xu , style name Wenhe , was an advisor to the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He previously served Dong Zhuo, Li Jue and Zhang Xiu before finally joining Cao Cao...
, who concluded that changing the general rules of succession (primogeniture
Primogeniture
Primogeniture is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings . Historically, the term implied male primogeniture, to the exclusion of females...
) would be disruptive—using Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao
Yuan Shao was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He occupied the northern territories of China during the civil war that occurred towards the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era...
and Liu Biao
Liu Biao
Liu Biao , style name Jingsheng , was a warlord and the governor of Jing Province during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was a member of the extended family of the Han Dynasty emperors...
as counterexamples. Cao Pi was also fostering his image among the people and creating the sense that Cao Zhi was wasteful and lacking actual talent in governance. In 217, Cao Cao, who was by this point Prince of Wei, finally declared Cao Pi as his crown prince. He would remain as such until his father's death in 220.
As King of Wei
Cao Cao died in the spring of 220, while he was at LuoyangLuoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
. Even though Cao Pi had been crown prince for several years, there was initially some confusion as to what would happen next. The apprehension was particularly heightened when, after Cao Cao's death, the Qing Province (青州, modern central and eastern Shandong
Shandong
' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...
) troops under the powerful general, Zang Ba
Zang Ba
Zang Ba was a general during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He served the warlord Tao Qian initially, followed by Lü Bu and finally Cao Cao and his successors, but for the most part of his career, he remained semi-autonomous over his troops and eastern China...
, suddenly deserted, leaving Luoyang and returning home. Further, Cao Zhang
Cao Zhang
Cao Zhang was the third son of the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty and Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. Cao Zhang was said to have wrestled and killed wild animals with his bare hands...
, whose military reputation was well-known, quickly arrived in Luoyang, creating apprehension that he was intending to seize power from his brother. Cao Pi, hearing this news at Cao Cao's headquarters at Yecheng
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
, hastily declared himself the new Prince of Wei and issuing an edict in the name of his mother, Princess Bian, before receiving an official confirmation from Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han
Emperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
, of whom he was still technically a subject. After Cao Pi's self-declaration, neither Cao Zhang nor any other individual took action against him. He then ordered his brothers, including Cao Zhang and Cao Zhi, back to their fiefs. With the help of Jiang Ji, the political situation soon stabilized.
Succeeding Emperor Xian
In the winter of 220, Cao Pi made his move for the imperial throne, strongly suggesting to Emperor Xian that he should yield the throne. Emperor Xian did so, and Cao Pi formally declined three times (a model that would be followed by future usurpers in Chinese history), and then finally accepted, ending the Han Dynasty and starting a new Wei Dynasty. The former Emperor Xian was created the Duke of Shanyang. Cao Pi posthumously honored his grandfather Cao SongCao Song
Cao Song was the father of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao. He was originally surnamed "Xiahou", but changed his surname to "Cao" after becoming the foster son of the eunuch Cao Teng. Cao Song's descendants also adopted "Cao" as their family name.By the year 193, China had been divided into...
and father Cao Cao as emperors, and his mother Princess Dowager Bian as empress dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
. He also moved the imperial capital from Xu (許縣, in modern Xuchang
Xuchang
Xuchang is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the southeast, and Pingdingshan to the southwest....
, Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
) to Luoyang.
Military failures against Sun Quan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
and Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
), Liu Bei declared himself emperor as well, establishing Shu Han
Shu Han
Shu Han was one of the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period, after the fall of the Han Dynasty. The state was based on areas around Sichuan, which was then known as Shu...
. Sun Quan, who controlled the vast majority of modern southeastern and southern China, did not take any affirmative steps one way or another, leaving his options open.
An armed conflict between Liu and Sun quickly developed, because in 219 Sun had ambushed Liu's general and beloved friend Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
to seize back western Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
and Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
), which Liu had controlled, and Liu wanted to take vengeance. To avoid having to fight on two fronts, Sun formally paid allegiance to Cao, offering to be a vassal of Cao Wei. Cao's strategist Liu Ye (劉曄) suggested that Cao decline—and in fact attack Sun on a second front, effectively partitioning Sun's domain with Shu Han, and then eventually seek to destroy Shu Han as well. Cao declined, in a fateful choice that most historians believe doomed his empire to ruling only the northern and central China—and this chance would not come again. Indeed, against Liu Ye's advice, he created Sun the Prince of Wu and granted him the nine bestowments
Nine bestowments
The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine bestowments were awards given by Chinese emperors to extraordinary officials, ostensibly to reward them for their accomplishments. The nine...
.
Sun's submission did not last long, however. After Sun's forces, under the command of Lu Xun
Lu Xun (Three Kingdoms)
Lu Xun was a military general and politician of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He is best known for defeating Liu Bei's forces at the Battle of Xiaoting in 222.-Early life:...
, defeated Liu Bei's forces in 222, Sun began to distance himself from Cao Wei. When Cao demanded Sun to send his heir Sun Deng (孫登) to Luoyang as hostage and Sun refused, formal relations broke down. Cao personally led an expedition against Sun, and Sun, in response, declared independence from Cao Wei, establishing Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
. By this time, having defeated Liu, Eastern Wu's forces enjoyed high morale and effective leadership from Sun, Lu, and a number of other capable generals, and Cao's forces were not able to make significant advances against them despite several large-scale attacks in the next few years. The division of the Han empire into three states has become firmly established, particularly after Liu Bei's death in 223; his prime minister Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang was a chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era....
, serving as regent for his son Liu Shan
Liu Shan
Liu Shan, , was the second and last emperor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. As he ascended the throne at the young age of 16, Liu Shan was entrusted to the care of the Chancellor Zhuge Liang and Imperial Secretariat Li Yan...
, reestablished the alliance with Sun, causing Cao Wei to have to defend itself on two fronts and not being able to conquer either. Exasperated, Cao made a famous comment in 225 that "Heaven created the Yangtze to divide the north and the south."
Domestic matters
Cao Pi was generally viewed as a competent, but unspectacular, administrator of his empire. He commissioned a number of capable officials to be in charge of various affairs of the empire, employing his father's general guidelines of valuing abilities over heritage. However, he was not open to criticism, and officials who dared to cricitize him were often demoted and, on rare occasions, put to death.Treatment of princes
Since Cao Pi was still fearful and resentful at Cao Zhi, he soon had the latter's fief reduced in size and had a number of his associates executed. Ding YiDing Yi
Ding Yi , style name Zhengli , a native of Pei , was a minister of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history....
, who was chief among Cao Zhi's strategists, had his whole clan wiped out as a result of assisting the latter in the past. Cao Pi's younger brother, Cao Xiong
Cao Xiong
Cao Xiong was a son of the late Han Dynasty warlord Cao Cao and his second wife Lady Bian. He died at a young age, but the cause of death was undocumented in historical records. He was posthumously honoured as Prince Huai of Xiao in 234...
, was also said to have committed suicide out of fears for his brother. Legend also says Cao Pi assassinated his own brother, Cao Zhang. In 223, Cao Zhang was summoned to the palace by Cao Pi. During a casual conversation, Cao Zhang asked his brother if he could see his royal seal. This got Cao Pi worried and made up his mind to kill his brother. Since Empress Dowager Bian favored Cao Zhang, so Cao Pi had to make Cao Zhang's death seem natural. A few weeks later, Cao Pi invited his brother to a game of weiqi
Go (board game)
Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...
during their mother's birthday. The match was very close in the middle game when Cao Pi's servants brought some prunes, some of them were poisoned. Cao Pi made sure he ate the unmarked ones that were not poisonous and made sure his brother ate the other ones. When Cao Zhang realized that he had been poisoned, he screamed for help. Empress Dowager Bian got to the scene on her bare feet and tried to search for water to flush down the poison that was now in Cao Zhang's body. But unfortunately for Cao Zhang, the crafty Cao Pi had secretly placed all the containers away beforehand, so Empress Dowager Bian failed to get the water; Cao Zhang then died as a result.
In summary, under regulations established by Cao Pi, not only were the Cao Wei princes (unlike princes of the Han Dynasty) distanced from central politics, they also had minimal authority even in their own principalities and were restricted in many ways, particularly in the use of military.
Treatment of officials
Cao Pi was recorded to repeatedly ridicule his subordinates. For example, when Yu JinYu Jin
Yu Jin was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He joined Cao in the early years of the civil wars that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty...
, who was sent back to Wei after he was captured by Shu, then Wu, Cao artistically teased him to death. Initially, Cao reinstated Yu to be Borders-Pacifying General (安遠將軍) and announced to send him back to Eastern Wu as an envoy. However, before Yu's departure, he was instructed to travel to Ye
Ye, China
Ye or Yecheng was an ancient Chinese city located in what is now Linzhang County, Hebei and the neighbouring Anyang County, Henan....
to pay his respects at Cao Cao's tomb. When Yu arrived, he found that the emperor had had artists paint on the tomb, scenes of the Battle of Fancheng
Battle of Fancheng
The Battle of Fancheng was fought between the forces of warlords Liu Bei and Cao Cao in 219 during the prelude to the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
, in which Yu was shown begging for his life to be spared and succumbing to the victorious Guan Yu
Guan Yu
Guan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
, while his subordinate, Pang De
Pang De
Pang De was a military general during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served different warlords during his life-span, including the Han Dynasty imperial court under Emperor Ling; the Liang Province forces led by Han Sui and Ma Teng; the Hanzhong warlord, Zhang Lu; and the...
, was shown dying an honorable death by resisting the invading forces to his last breath. Upon seeing the vivid mural, Yu was so filled with regret and shame that he fell ill and soon died. Cao further gave the deceased Yu a notorious posthumous title
Posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary name given to royalty, nobles, and sometimes others, in East Asia after the person's death, and is used almost exclusively instead of one's personal name or other official titles during his life...
of "Marquis Li" (厲侯), for people to remember the latter as the "stony marquis (or vicious marquis)" Wang Zhong, a general who followed Cao Cao for many years, was also ridiculed by his young master. Even the Grand General of the Supreme Army, Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many...
, was taken advantage by Cao Pi for his chubby bodyshape.
Marriage and succession issues
An immediate issue after Cao Pi became emperor in 220 was who the empress would be. Lady Zhen was his wife, but had by this point long lost favor due to a variety of reasons—chief among which was the struggle she had with a favorite concubine of Cao's, Guo NüwangEmpress Guo Nüwang
Guo Nüwang , formally known as Empress Wende , was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was married to Cao Pi , the first emperor of Cao Wei.-Family background and marriage to Cao Pi:Her father Guo Yong came from a line of minor local officials...
. Lady Guo used the unlikely possibility that Zhen's son Cao Rui might be biologically Yuan Xi's son to full advantage in creating conflicts between Cao Pi and Lady Zhen. Cao therefore refused to summon Lady Zhen to Luoyang after he ascended the throne but instead ordered her to remain at Yecheng, which caused Lady Zhen to be resentful. When words of her resentment reached Cao, he became angry and forced her to commit suicide. In 222, Cao created Consort Guo empress.
Empress Guo, however, was sonless. Lady Zhen's son Cao Rui was the oldest of Cao Pi's sons, but because she had been put to death and because of Cao Pi's lingering doubt as to his paternity, was not created crown prince but only the Prince of Pingyuan after Cao Pi's ascension. Cao Pi, however, did not appear to have seriously considered any other son as heir. (It might have been because the other sons were all significantly younger, although their ages were not recorded in history.) In the summer of 226, when Cao Pi was seriously ill, he finally created Prince Rui crown prince. On his deathbed, he entrusted his successor Cao Rui
Cao Rui
Cao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
to the care of Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen
Cao Zhen was a military general serving under the warlord Cao Cao during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He served the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He was also a distant nephew of Cao Cao, though the latter treated him like a son. Cao Zhen participated in many...
, Chen Qun, and Sima Yi. Following Cao Pi's death, Prince Rui ascended the throne at the young age of 21.
Family
- Father: Cao CaoCao CaoCao Cao was a warlord and the penultimate chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty who rose to great power during the dynasty's final years. As one of the central figures of the Three Kingdoms period, he laid the foundations for what was to become the state of Cao Wei and was posthumously titled...
- Mother: Lady BianEmpress Dowager BianEmpress Dowager Bian , personal name unknown, formally known as Empress Wuxuan , was an empress dowager of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
- Spouses:
- Empress Zhen Wenzhao, bore Cao Rui and Princess Dongxiang, forced to commit suicide in 221
- Empress GuoEmpress Guo NüwangGuo Nüwang , formally known as Empress Wende , was an empress of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. She was married to Cao Pi , the first emperor of Cao Wei.-Family background and marriage to Cao Pi:Her father Guo Yong came from a line of minor local officials...
, promoted from concubine to empress in 222 - Lady Li (李夫人)
- Consort Li (李貴人), bore Cao Xie
- Consort Yin (陰貴人)
- Consort Chai (柴貴人)
- Lady Pan (潘淑媛), bore Cao Rui (曹蕤)
- Lady Zhu (朱淑媛), bore Cao Jian
- Lady Chou (仇昭儀), bore Cao Lin
- Consort Xu (徐姬), bore Cao Li
- Consort Su (蘇姬), bore Cao Yong
- Consort Zhang (張姬), bore Cao Gong
- Consort Song (宋姬), bore Cao Yan
- Lady Liu (劉氏), daughter of Emperor XianEmperor Xian of HanEmperor Xian of Han , personal name Liu Xie, style name Bohe, was the last emperor of the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history...
- Lady Liu (劉氏), daughter of Emperor Xian
- Lady Ren (任氏)
- Children
- Cao RuiCao RuiCao Rui , formally known as Emperor Ming of Wei, was the second emperor of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was a son of Cao Wei's first emperor Cao Pi according to Liu Song dynasty historian, Pei Songzhi, but was a son of Yuan Xi according to modern...
, instated as Duke of Qi in 221, promoted to Prince of Pingyuan a year later. Instated as crown prince in 226, became second emperor of Cao WeiCao WeiCao Wei was one of the states that competed for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period. With the capital at Luoyang, the state was established by Cao Pi in 220, based upon the foundations that his father Cao Cao laid...
in the same year. See Cao Rui#Family for details on Cao Rui's family. - Cao Jie (曹喈), died at a young age
- Cao Xie (曹協), died at a young age, posthumously granted title Duke Sang of Jing in 231 and Prince Ai of Zan in 234
- Cao Rui (曹蕤), instated as Prince of Yangping in 226, later promoted to Prince Dao of Beihai in 232, died a year later
- Cao Jian (曹鑒), instated as Prince Huai of Dongwuyang in 225, died in the same year
- Cao Lin (曹霖), instated as Prince of Hedong in 222, later promoted to Prince of Guantao in 225 and Prince Ding of Donghai in 232, died in 249.
- Cao Li (曹禮), instated as Duke of Qin in 221, later promoted to Prince of Jingzhao in 222 and Prince Ai of Yuancheng in 225, died in 229
- Cao Yong (曹邕), instated as Duke of Huainan in 221, later promoted to Prince of Huainan in 222, Prince of Chen in 223, and Prince Huai of Handan in 225, died in 229
- Cao Gong (曹貢), instated as Prince Dao of Qinghe in 222, died in 223
- Cao Yan (曹儼), instated as Prince Ai of Guangping in 222, died in 223
- Princess Dongxiang (東鄉公主), personal name unknown
- Cao Rui
Appointments and titles held
- The following appointment and title were inherited by Cao Pi from his father Cao Cao. Cao Pi held them briefly before he became Emperor.
- Chancellor (丞相)
- King of Wei (魏王)
- The following two titles were granted to Cao Pi posthumously
- Emperor Wen of Wei (魏文帝)
- Era Ancestor (世祖)
Modern references
Cao Pi appears as a playable character in Koei's Dynasty WarriorsDynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
and Warriors Orochi
Warriors Orochi
, is a PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 hack and slash video game developed by Koei and Omega Force. It is a crossover of two of Koei's popular video game series, Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors...
video game series. He also appears in Koei's Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Romance of the Three Kingdoms (video game series)
, or Sangokushi in Japanese, is a series of turn-based tactical role-playing simulation grand strategy wargames produced by Koei. Originating from Japan in 1985, eleven installments of the game have been published in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China and North America to date.-Overview:The games are...
series.
See also
- List of people of the Three Kingdoms
- List of Chinese monarchs
- List of Dynasty Warriors characters